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gaged in while sitting. Whether he chose this posture for meditating, for breathing exercises, for eating, or for communicating, he formed the habit of keeping his spine straight.
The body is nothing but a series of habits, and poor habits can be unlearned by replacing them with good ones. Habits follow one another like a chain, so it is to my benefit to cultivate the right ones consistently, in a sequence.
The fourth lesson was "Jayam saye — when you sleep, sleep with awareness," in a state of deep peace and bliss. Before taking rest for the night, Munishree followed the Jain practice of clearing out from the mind any negative imprints left there during the day. It is a form of pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses from the world, called praktikramana, withdrawal into one's inner being in order to examine one's mental slate.
Reviewing the day, he would ask himself, “Have I harmed anyone in my thoughts? Have I harmed anyone in my words? Have I harmed any life in my actions? Did I encourage any harshness or violence in myself or others? Did I impose my thoughts on another? Did I try to manipulate anyone? Was I greedy today? Whatever I spoke, was it the truth? Did I take anything that was not offered to me first?”
If he had indulged in any unfriendly, critical, or selfish thought, he recognized it to be a form of himsa or mental violence. If he had used a harsh word, it was a form of verbal violence. If he had stepped on insects, seeds, grass, or green leaves, he acknowledged the carelessness and became alert not to repeat it. By asking himself these probing questions, he reinforced the five vows he took at his ordination.
The way of upayoga taught him how to erase any karmas which had accumulated during the day through pramāda, neglect. It was the way of forgiveness: He recited the sacred stanza of forgiveness:
खमिअ खमाविअ मइ, खमह सव्वह जीव निकाय | सिद्धह साख आलोयण, मुज्झ वइर न भाव ।। "Khamiya khamāviya mai khamaha Savvaha jiva nikāya
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